


While Cameras Flash

by ClassyFangirl



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: First Date, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-28 17:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/994805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClassyFangirl/pseuds/ClassyFangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Breach is closed, Newt and Hermann go on their official first date. This is rather more difficult than anticipated, since they are kind of rock stars now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	While Cameras Flash

**Author's Note:**

> Another request fill! This ended up being a TINY bit sillier than the actual prompt, but it was fun.

Two weeks after the Breach closed and the PPDC press tour was in full swing. Mako and Raleigh had the most interviews by far- they were immediately popular, as jaeger pilots always were, but especially so because they were both gorgeous young people, and they did, after all, _save the world_. Marshall Hansen had a number of interviews himself, though he looked deeply unhappy in all of them, and devoted most of his time to behind the scenes work, organizing clean-up and preparing a memorial to the last jaeger pilots who died in the fight. Even the lowest techs in the PPDC could get an interview on morning news shows.

So, naturally, Newt and Hermann were _rock stars_.

Maybe not rock stars. Mako and Raleigh were probably the closest to rock stars. But still- they were pretty popular themselves, the media immediately latching onto how they could turn a mild conversation into an argument. Even the PPDC media supervisor, who had originally tried her best to get them to stop fighting on camera or tried to schedule them for separate interviews, delighted in telling them how high the view count was for each interview.

And the gossip magazines liked to talk about their “intimate relationship” and speculated on how deep that relationship went.

It...wasn’t exactly unfounded. True, Mako and Raleigh got the most of that kind of attention, but once it got out that Newt and Hermann had Drifted together too, and had known each other for some ten years, there was a steady undercurrent of gossip about “the scientists who helped save the world”. And there was some merit to the rumors, Newt had to admit.

For example: he had just asked Hermann to go on a date with him.

Hermann quirked at an eyebrow at him. “Really? After all that’s happened in the last two weeks, and you’re only _just now_ asking if I will go on a date with you?”

And that was where the rumors got their merit: they were right, mostly. The day the Breach closed, in the midst of the celebrations, high on each other’s minds, Newt and Hermann had kissed, right there in LOCCENT. Neither of them was totally sure, even now, who initiated it, but it led to a long, _long_ night in bed, so they weren’t about to complain. They’d kept up those activities ever since then, and even shared a hotel room wherever they went (which the press learned and ate right up).

“Well, yeah,” Newt said. “I mean, we’ve been busy! But we’re not traveling tomorrow _and_ we don’t have any media crap scheduled, so...?” He shrugged. “I mean- I know this isn’t just a sex thing. ‘Cause I felt...” He waved his hands vaguely in that way they both used when they meant to indicate the Drift but didn’t quite want to say it out loud. “So, lemme try again: Hermann Gottlieb, will you go on a date with me tomorrow night?”

Hermann chuckled and pressed a kiss to Newt’s temple. “Very well. It’d be an honor, Doctor Geiszler.”

“I suck the man’s cock and he _still_ calls me Doctor Geiszler, what’s up with _that_ -”

“Maybe if you try again, it will work this time.”

Newt smirked at Hermann’s disguised amusement. “You just want me to shut up. I’ll show _you_.”

 

ooo

 

The next night, Newt found the nicest clothes he owned- a gray dress shirt, one of his black skinny ties, and, to Hermann’s utter surprise, an _actual jacket_ -and carefully did his hair in that disheveled way he knew Hermann loved. Hermann, shockingly, did in fact own a suit that fit, and he looked _damn_ good in it.

“I’m gonna get you in a pair of skinny jeans one day,” Newt said when he saw it. “God _damn_. I mean, I’ve already seen the rockin’ bod under your clothes, but god, when you’re in tight clothes? It’s like a present I get to unwrap.”

Hermann snorted at him, clearly pretending he wasn’t blushing. “You won’t be doing any ‘unwrapping’ until after dinner tonight.”

“Wow, Hermann,” Newt said, taking Hermann’s arm in his. “ _You_ put out after the first date? And here I thought you were a gentleman!”

“Oh, shut up, you fool, let’s go.”

The moment they stepped out of the hotel, cameras started flashing. “Doctor Geiszler! Doctor Gottlieb! Doctors, over here!”

“Oh, _god,_ ” Newt said. “The- the taxi, the taxi’s right over here-” He tugged Hermann’s arm and tried to maneuver them through the crowd of paparazzi. “Oh god, oh god- hey, hey, _move_ -”

“Move!” Hermann snapped at a photographer sitting in front of their taxi. “Get out! _Move_!”

They dropped into the taxi, and Newt slammed the car door shut. “Uh- Caffarelli in, in the North End. _Now,_ please!”

Hermann sighed and threaded his fingers through Newt’s. “Are you all right?” he asked in a low, soft voice.

Newt nodded and tightened his hand around Hermann’s. “Yeah, yeah. Jesus, I’m sorry, I didn’t think- I didn’t think there’d be that many. Jesus- y’know when I ran to the corner to get lunch the other day? There were, like, like, two just sitting out there- why were there so _many_ tonight?”

Hermann hummed thoughtfully and rubbed his thumb in gentle circles on the back of Newt’s hand. After a moment, he asked, “Is this a restaurant where you had to call and make a reservation?”

“Yeah, and I called plenty early, dude, so there’s not gonna be a problem-”

“I don’t doubt that. But did you make the reservation under your name?”

Newt was silent for a moment. “Fucking _shit_. You think somebody told them?”

“Perhaps. I’m not certain on the politics of gossip photographers, but it seems likely.”

Newt groaned and buried his head in his hands. “God _damn_ it. I’m sorry, dude, I fucked up, I should’ve known-”

Hermann wrapped an arm around Newt’s shoulder. “You couldn’t have known,” he said firmly. “It’s all right, Newton. To hell with them- we’re going to have a nice dinner anyway.”

Newt gave him a careful smile. “Yeah? Yeah. _Hell_ yeah, we’re gonna have a great dinner. You know it.”

“I hate to break up this beautiful moment,” the taxi driver said, “but we’re here. And it looks like there’s more of those paparazzi people, so you boys watch yourselves, all right?”

“Right,” Newt said. He grinned and paid the driver. “Thanks, man.”

The driver shrugged. “Nobody wants the scientists who saved the world to get trampled.”

Newt gave him a hefty tip, and with his hand wrapped tightly around Hermann’s, they stepped out of the car.

“Doctors! Doctor Geiszler, Doctor Gottlieb!”

“Can you say anything about Rangers Becket and Mori?”

“Is it true you were together before your Drift on VK-Day?”

“Doctors!”

Newt and Hermann pushed through the crowd and got into the restaurant, slamming the door behind them. The hostess stared at them in surprise, but regained her composure fairly quickly. “Doctor Gottlieb and Doctor Geiszler, I believe?”

“Yeah- uh, dinner for two under Geiszler?”

She nodded and gathered two menus. “Right this way, gentlemen.”

She led them to a table towards the back of the restaurant, a cozy spot lit by candles. “We reserved you one of our best spots when we learned Doctor Geiszler was making the reservation,” she said. “And we’re even _more_ honored to have the both of you here. If there is anything not to your liking, please let us know.”

“You picked quite a nice place,” Hermann said when the hostess left. “I didn’t think you’d care for this sort of venue.”

“Oh! Well...I don’t, not really. But I figured you would. And they’re supposed to have _killer_ garlic bread, just you wait.”

Hermann smiled at him. “I’m sure we could’ve met in the middle. Somewhere nice, but a bit more...to your liking.”

Newt shrugged and grinned. “Yeah, but I don’t really mind this. I’m cool with doing anything with you, man.”

Hermann felt himself blush a bit. “Yes, well. I’m- I’m thankful.”

It was a very nice restaurant, with fine wine and excellent food, and tucked in the back as they were, Hermann felt little embarrassment when he let Newt steal bites of his carbonara, and Newt shared his braciola.

“I’ve had a truly lovely time,” Hermann said towards the end of the evening. “You’re quite the gentleman when you want to be, Newton.”

“Yeah?” Newt grinned broadly at him. “Does that mean you’ll go on another date with me some time?”

“I thought that was a given.”

Hermann privately delighted in the way Newt first looked shocked, and then how his face lit up. Newt grabbed Hermann’s hand and squeezed it. “I hope you know that from now on, I’m only taking you to the shittiest restaurants and bars possible. This was just to reel you in. Now that I’ve got you, my standards are dropping _immediately_.”

Hermann rolled his eyes even as he squeezed Newt’s hand right back. “It’s quite all right- I’ve already resigned myself to my fate. Nothing but bad beer and communal bowls of peanuts for the rest of my days, is that it?”

“You know it, man.”

They stood at the front of the restaurant, still holding each other’s hands. The crowd of photographers had not shrunk, to their dismay- in fact, it might have grown. “This sucks,” Newt said. “I was- I was gonna take you to this nice little bakery nearby for dessert, but...” He shrugged helplessly at the flock of paparazzi.

Hermann tapped his cane against the floor as he thought. “Point me in the right direction and hold on tight,” he said. “We’re going to show these bastards we don’t give a damn about them.”

The photographers attempted to swarm the moment they stepped out of the restaurant, but Hermann held his cane aloft and waved it. “Out of the way, you wretched vermin!” he snapped. “You’ve no business here! Get away!”

The crowd hung back, apparently shocked at being verbally told off. Hermann tugged at Newt’s sleeve and hissed, “Lead the way now before they start again.”

Newt grinned at him and pulled him down the street, almost jogging, moving at a quick pace that was still relatively comfortable for his leg. It was a short trip, but even as they approached the storefront, Hermann could hear the crowd of photographers behind them just before they pushed through the bakery door.

The pimply teenager working the cash register stared at them in utter surprise as they stood gasping just inside the entrance. Newt let out a breathless laugh. “Hey!” He coughed and inhaled deeply before trying again. “I hear you guys have _great_ cupcakes.”

They ate in the bakery together, seated on one side of a table and pressed together, laughing and talking as they watched the paparazzi slowly disappear, apparently giving up. It was, Hermann decided, the best first date he’d ever been on.


End file.
